Mockingjay Captured
by WinterRose02
Summary: At the end of Catching Fire, Katniss is captured and taken to the Capitol instead of Peeta! Peeta is alone in District 13 with only Finnick to keep him company. Can Peeta cope without Katniss or will he just break down every time he thinks about her? Read
1. Chapter 1: Taken

**A/N: Welcome, to the first chapter of 'Mockingjay Captured'! I am so excited to start this, because you all have been wanting it for SO long.**

 **So, here it is!**

 **ENJOY!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT own this. All rights go to Suzanne Collins.**

 **Mockingjay Captured**

 **Chapter 1**

Once Beetee had let us in in the plan to kill the careers, we were all in, except for Peeta and I.

"I want to go with her as a guard." Peeta says. Beetee had planned for Johanna and I to take the coil down to the beach, while the rest of them stands guard.

"Your too slow." Beetee says. "Besides, I need you here to protect me."

"Finnick can protect you just fine." Peeta defends.

"Yeah," I say. "Why can't me and Peeta go and Johanna and Finnick stay here with you?"

"You all agreed to keep me alive until midnight, correct?"

"Is there a problem here?" Finnick butts in.

"No," I say. "No problem at all." I look towards Peeta. "It's okay, I'll just drop the coil in and be right back."

"Not here." Beetee says. "Go to the tree in the one or two o'clock sector. If you have any chance of getting out of there on time, I suggest you leave now."

"I'll see you at midnight." I tell Peeta.

"Are you sure?" He asks, unsure. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"It'll be okay." Before he can say another word I crash my lips into his, sinking deeper into it. And, just like on the beach, I feel something stir deep inside me. A hunger. Begging me for more. But, I know I can't have it.

"I'll see you at midnight." He repeats when we pull apart. I walk away from him, carrying the coil with me. I look back long enough to see the distressed look on his face. Then, I look back forward and my gaze is once again towards the jungle.

"Hurry up." Johanna says as we pass over a log. "I want to get out of here as fast as I can and frying is not the way I want to go."

Just then the coil gets stuck on something. I tug on it, but it won't budge.

"Something's caught in it." I mumble, squinting into the distance to try and make out what the source of it is. That's when it snaps and I see Brutus and Enobaria making there towards us. I quickly retrieve my bow, ready to shoot, when Johanna hits me in the back of the head with the coil. I scream out in pain.

"Ssh." She says as she takes out her knife and cuts my arm. I scream louder than I did before, but Johanna only puts her hand over my mouth and smears blood on my neck for some reason. "Ssh."

She jumps to her feet and runs the other direction, screaming something, but I can't make out what it is. My mind is telling me to wait here and die, but then I think of something. Peeta! I need to find him, make sure he doesn't get hurt or worse... die.

I make my way to my feet, stumbling a little as I get up. I am very light headed from blood loss and Johanna hitting me in the head with the coil.

"Peeta!" I manage to scream, but I don't get a response. I have to get back to the lightning tree, he'll probably be there and I can't afford to go wandering into the jungle to look for him. My best bet is to go to the last place I saw him.

Trying my best to run, I start getting even more light headed, but I know I can't quit now. I'm not that weak. Peeta's life is on the line, and he was going to risk his life for mine, and I will not let that happen.

"Peeta!" I scream again, but still, no response. Where on earth is he?

I make I to the lightning tree again and find Finnick and Peeta gone, but Beetee is there unconscious and bloody, smoke evident on his body.

"Beetee?" I go to him and try shaking him awake, but he is still. I see he has a knife in his hand and the knife is tied to some wire. Huh? I look over and see that he is right by a force field. I think he was trying to stab the knife into the force field, but what would that do?

The lightning above is brewing, so I know I don't have a lot of time. I grab the end of the wiring, untying it from the knife and attaching it to the tip of my arrow. The lightning is getting closer and closer. I ready my bow, pulling the string back as far as it will go. Once the lighting is just about to release, I let go of my bow string and scream in agony as the lightning hits my skin at full blast, blowing me back and hitting hard against the ground.

Looking up, I know I succeeded. He was trying to blow up the arena, I can see it now. I see the clear blue sky, the real one not the fake one the Capitol created for the arena. So artificial.

A hovercraft appears over me. I don't know where it leads to and I can't see it very well because my vision is getting blurrier by the second. A crane comes down and scoops me up, once I am high enough I can see the big symbol on the side of the hovercraft.

The Capitol symbol.

 **Peeta's POV**

"Peeta!" Finnick screams at me. "Peeta, stop!"

"No!" I scream back, continuing to run where I heard her screams. "I have to find her."

"Stop!" Finnick is faster than me, so he catches up easily and grabs hold of my shoulder. "We have to go!"

"Go where?" I ask, still anxious about where on earth Katniss is.

"Follow me."

"No, not until I find Katniss!" I tell him. The next thing I remember is being hit on the head with the back of his trident, after that everything is black.

I wake up again in a hovercraft. I know this is a hovercraft because I get that feeling in my stomach when your in the air. I look beside me and Beetee is there, unconscious and on the same type of floor mat that I am on. Where am I? Where is Katniss?

I need answers to these questions, and I can't answer them myself. So I slowly get up off the ground, being careful not to be noticed yet. I see a hallway, and it is the only way to go so I quietly tip-toe to some double doors at the end of it. I am no stealthy person, I never have been, but at this moment I feel like I'm on air. Not in the good way, when you feel super happy, no I'm the opposite of that. I feel like I'm on air because my footsteps are surprisingly silent.

I get to the end of the hall and listen carefully to the voices I'm hearing. The door must be sound proof because I can't hear a thing, but I know people are there because I can see shadows through the white, foggy glass. Without warning the door slides open to reveal the mystery of who was on the other side.

Haymitch, Finnick, and... Plutarch Heavensbee?

"What's going on?" I ask. Haymitch sighs.

"Boy, I think you should come take a seat." He tells me. I obey and he passes me a bowl of soup. "Eat."

"Tell me what's going on." I say, not touching the food that was just passed to me.

"Okay," Haymitch says impatiently. "I'm going to tell you everything that's happened, but no questions until the end, got it?" I nod my head tightly.

He tells me a lot of stuff. Most of it I don't understand, but some of it I do. Basically, District 13 has been alive and well for 75 years. They were living underground where they have a military base. The president of the district is President Alma Coin, who has been ruling there for years. Plutarch was a Capitol spy, working undercover for years to get all their secrets and make sure everything goes smoothly. Then I am just told a bunch of stuff about war and the rebellion, and many things that I don't currently care about. Once finished, I ask the question that has been plaguing my mind since that wire was cut.

"Where is Katniss?"

Haymitch sighs again. "The Capitol took her. They anticipated our rescue and took Johanna too."

My mouth is gaping open in shock, my eyes wide.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I scream at him and run towards him, slapping him hard across the face. I feel a needle go into my back, causing me to sink to the ground. "We had a deal." I whisper, barely managing the words. "You promised."

That's when my world fades to black.

 **A/N: I hope y'all liked the first chapter of 'Mockingjay Captured'**

 **Please review and let me know if I should continue or not.**

 **Have a great day and may the odds be ever in your favor.**


	2. Chapter 2: She's Alive!

**A/N: Y'all asked for it, so here ya go! Chapter 2 of Mockingjay Captured!**

 **Thank you for all the lovely reviews you sent me regarding the last chapter. I hearing from you guys, so keep up the reviewing. ;)**

 **Let's start this chapter, shall we?**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT own The Hunger Games. All rights go to and forever belong to Suzanne Collins.**

 **Chapter 2 – Peeta's POV**

"Soldier Mellark," Boggs, one of Coins lead commanders, says. "You are needed in Command, as ordered by President Coin." I hadn't met Coin yet, so this might be the day that I meet the woman who left Katniss in the arena for the Capitol to have. "Follow me."

I follow Boggs into the hallway that I have become so familiar with over the past few weeks I've spent in District 13. Yet, being here so long, I still haven't gotten the hang of all these hallways and which turn to take or which floor leads where. I've never used any of this stuff in my life. The only other time I've used an elevator was before the games started. Still, then, I had barely had any idea what they were meant to do other than get you places.

"How long have you all been down here?" I ask Boggs as we make our way into the elevator and he pushes button number 59.

"70 years." He tells me. "It took them five years to finish it, so they started building it 75 years ago. Everyone lived in tents until the building was finished. Of course, I wasn't there. They teach about it in the history classes."

"Oh." Is all I really need to say. I'm surprised they lived here for 75 years with food and water, and yet they couldn't help us out at all. While we were starving they had food, shelter, and all those other needs people need. I guess we can't really blame them, they have a limited amount of food and they did take the survivors of the bombing of District 12.

Yes, the Capitol bombed my home. Killing my family. I was heartbroken when I found out. About 90 percent of the district died in that bombing. I was told they bombed it because Katniss shot that arrow, destroying the arena. But I don't blame her for this. How could anyone? It wasn't her fault. They probably would have bombed the district whether Beetee had destroyed the arena or Katniss. Who knows.

The elevator jerks a little and then comes to a complete stop, as the doors open for us. This new hallway is unfamiliar to me, yet it looks exactly the same as the rest I've been in. Strange how something can look so familiar, yet be so confusing at the same time.

"In here." Boggs says, motioning for me to enter a set of double doors. I push the door open and find, what I assume to be, the Command room. Inside is a large, round table and there is a big TV screen on one of the walls. Other than that there is nothing but some people in there, including Haymitch, who I have been ignoring for the past couple of weeks, Plutarch Heavensbee, I don't ever see him around, and a small, dignified woman with gray hair that is perfectly straight and even.

"Hello, Mr. Mellark." Coin says. "Won't you please have a seat?"

I obey and take a seat as far away from Haymitch and Plutarch as I can, but close enough as to not be rude to Coin.

"My name is President Alma Coin." She introduces herself. "I am the president here in 13 and the leader of this rebellion. We rescued you form the arena because we believe you are very valuable to this rebellion."

"Well you shouldn't have." I say coldly.

"Pardon me?" She asks.

"You left Katniss." I muster out. "Katniss was the one who was supposed to live."

"Mr Mellark, please understand that our original plan was to rescue you both from the arena," she says. "But once the Capitol got a hold of our Mockingjay we had to forfeit that plan and rescue you instead."

"If she is the Mockingjay then you should've gotten as soon as possible!" I yell.

"We tried." She tells me. "But we just... weren't quick enough."

"What do you want with me anyways?" I ask, trying to regain my composure.

"Plutarch." Coin motions for Plutarch to start speaking.

"Peeta, we want you to do propoganda's." Plutarch says. "Propos, as I like to call them. We want you to use your words to incite the Rebellion. Give them a reason to join our fight."

"Why should I help you?" I ask. I have no intention of helping people who took the one person I love most away from me. I could never do that. "Katniss is the Mockingjay and I don't want to take her place."

"We're not saying you will be the new Mockingjay." Coin tells me. "We just want you to be the temporary face of this rebellion. The Mockingjay is a permanent position, so Katniss can have that position when we rescue her."

"So you will rescue her?" I ask hopefully.

"Only if we get all the districts on our side. And we can't do that without you."

"What if I don't do it?" I ask.

"You don't have to." Coin says. "But if Katniss is going to get back alive, I suggest you take the offer."

"How do I even know Katniss is alive?" I scream at her. "It's been weeks! The Capitol's probably killed her for what she did in the arena! I could be agreeing to a job that I won't get anything out of, because you left Katniss and she is probably dead because of it." My words surprise me. The thought of Katniss actually being dead had crossed my mind, but this is the first time it's actually sunk in. The first time I feel like I actually believe the words.

"Peeta, please." Coin begs. "We need a face for this rebellion."

"Then you should've saved Katniss!" I growl and stomp out of the room without another word. Before leaving I hear Coin whisper something to Haymitch and Plutarch.

"We should've saved the girl." She whispers. Yes, I think to myself, she should have!

After exiting the room I check the schedule on my arm. Dinner time. I really am not in the mood for food right now. Besides, I've been completely ignoring my schedule the whole time I've been here. Why start now?

As I'm walking, I pass by Delly in the hall. I hadn't seen her this whole time, and assumed she died in the bombing.

"Hey, Peeta!" She says. "I haven't seen you around, I've been looking for you."

"Delly! I thought you... didn't make it out in time." I stutter. It's not that I have a problem talking to her, it's just that when I started talking I realized it would sound pretty rude.

"Yeah, it would seem that like that." She says. "So many people didn't make it out in time, and it is so sad. Oh, where's Katniss? I haven't seen her around."

"Oh..." I trail off. I thought everyone knew what had happened to her. Apparently not. "She... um... she didn't make it..." It's hard to say. I've been so depressed about this whole situation, but I can't break down now. They had just started weening me off my medication.

"Oh!" She suddenly gets realization. "Peeta, I – I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Is she... is she... gone?"

"I don't know." My voice cracks as I speak. "The Capitol... they – they could be doing anything to her, if she's not already..." Dead, I think to myself, but I can't muster up the words.

"Oh, Peeta! I – I didn't know. I'm so sorry. I knew how much she meant to you." She tries to comfort me. "But I don't think she's dead."

"Why not?" I ask.

"She's too valuable to _them_ right now." She tells me. "They can... use her as a – as a pawn. It would be too risky to kill her." She has a point, but I can't fully know if I believe it until I have proof that she is still alive. "Now, come on!" She pulls me along. "Let's go to dinner."

I want to deny, but she starts pulling my arm for me to follow. I groan and stumble down the hall, following her lead. For some reason, hanging out with Delly, feels like I'm betraying Katniss in some way. I know Delly and I are just friends, but she is another woman and I'm in love with Katniss.

Once we are in the cafeteria Delly gets her food, but I don't eat. I then go to sit down across from her and just sit there with my hand holding up my face. Delly finishes her food quickly and I am just about to leave when the TV suddenly turns on. The Capitol anthem plays along with the symbol, and I wait curious to see what they're broadcasting. I see Caesar Flickerman enters the screen.

"Hello, Panem." Caesar greets us formally. "I am Caesar Flickerman, your host, and today we have a very special guest. Introducing the girl who was on fire, Katniss Everdeen." My mouth hangs open in shock as the screen pans out to see both Katniss and Caesar. My heart drops at the sight of her. She is super skinny, has dark circles under her eyes, and her eyes are blood shot. I can't help but notice how much she is shaking, but she's alive! She's really alive!

I draw closer to the TV, hoping to somehow reach her. Also, I don't want to miss a single word she says.

"So, Katniss," Caesar starts. "How are you, first of all?"

"I guess I'm good." She says, although I can hear the quiver in her voice.

"Oh my God!" I say as my hand draws to my mouth to hold in the scream that is threatening it's way through my throat. Tears start to sting my eyes. I keep whispering the same words. "She's alive."

"Hmm... now, Katniss, a lot of people feel as though they are in the dark. Would you like to shed some light on that?" Caesar asks.

"Yeah," Katniss says, her voice still quivering. "I know how they feel."

"So, set the stage for us." He says. "Talk us through what really happened on that final night in the arena."

"Well first, you have to understand that in the arena you only get one wish." Katniss says. "My one wish was to save Peeta."

"And do you think you succeeded at that?" He asks.

She laughs a small, breathy laugh. "I don't know." She says. "I don't know where he is or if he is even alive."

"Now, you blew out the force field in that arena, correct?"

"Correct." She says, her voice cracking.

"Why did you do that?"

"I don't know." She says. "I didn't know what I was doing, I guess. I never knew there was a bigger plan behind it all. Peeta and I had no idea of the plan to get the other tributes out."

"Well, Katniss, there are many who find this suspicious. It seems as though _you_ were part of a rebel plan." He accuses her.

"Well, do you think it was part of my plan to almost be killed by Johanna?" She asks coldly. "Or part of my plan to be paralyzed by lightning? No, were not part of any rebel plan, we had no idea what was going on."

"Alright." He surrenders. "I believe you, Katniss. Now, I was going to ask you to speak about the war, but I think you might be too upset."

"No," She says. "No, I can answer that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She says as she turns to the camera and starts speaking, letting out a small sigh. "I want everyone who's watching to stop and to think about what a war could mean. We almost went extinct once before and now our numbers are even fewer." I hear mummers around the room, most of which are expressing hatred and betrayal towards Katniss. "Is this really what we want to do? Kill ourselves off? Killing is not the answer. Everyone needs to lay down their weapons immediately."

"Katniss, are you calling for a ceasefire?" Caesar asks.

"Yeah... I am." By this time people are screaming out wretched names towards Katniss, like "Traitor!" "Liar!" "Backstabber!"

Katniss was obviously put up to saying that, I could tell just by looking at her.

I can't handle all these horrible names being said about the woman I love. I start walking towards the exit, too stunned to move any faster. Once I regain my composure I burst out of the room.

I have to save her. I have to. But the only way to do that is...

I burst through Command doors, finding Coin there.

"I'll do it!" I say. "Just please get her out of there."

Coin smiles. "Very good, Peeta." She says. "We'll start making propos as soon as we can!"

And just like that, I was the temporary face of the rebellion. Let's just hope I do a good enough job to save Katniss from the wretched hands of President Snow.

 **A/N: There you go! Chapter 2! YAY!**

 **Hope you enjoyed. I know I did. ;-)**

 **Have a great day and may the odds be ever in your favor.**


	3. Chapter 3: My family's grave

**A/N: I almost just cried because I was watching the interviews Peeta did in Mockingjay Part 1 while he was in the Capitol and it was SO sad. He looked different... :( It's sad what they did to him, and it's going to be hard to make Katniss go through that as I write this FanFiction. :(**

 **But I have to get through it... just, because.**

 **I have no idea what I am talking about. Once again. I tend to ramble about random things sometimes.**

 **ENJOY!**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Hunger Games. All rights go to Suzanne Collins.**

 **Chapter 3**

The rubble and ash that was once District 12 surround my feet. Reminding me of the terrors of this world. Reminding me that not even the strongest can overthrow the Capitol. But can they?

Their using this as a propo, basically to show Katniss and everyone in Panem what the Capitol did.

It crosses my mind that I may have been responsible for all the deaths caused by this bombing. There is plenty of blame to go around. Coin, the Capitol... some say Katniss but I don't. I blame everyone but her.

Even as I pass the rubble and debris of what used to be my home, my bakery, I don't feel a single inch of blame or hatred towards Katniss in anyway.

My family... they didn't make it out. They didn't survive. I don't know who to blame anymore.

Before I know it tears have sprung to my eyes. My brothers, father, mother. All dead. I, honestly, wish I could say that I would miss my mother, but not after all those years of abuse. But I can't help but feel a tinge of guilt over her dead body.

That's where the stove was. I look over and barely make out a pile of bricks. The bricks that made up a stove, which was where I had pretty much learned to bake. I turn around from my spot in the middle of the bakery and see right where the stairs were, leading to the front door. The 'Mellark Family Bakery' sign is on the ground. If I hadn't grown up here then I wouldn't know that it was a sign or that it said 'Mellark Family Bakery', I would just think it was a piece of wood that has been hit, burned, and ripped apart.

With the memories still evident in my mind, I try to move on. I glance over to where the coal mines used to stand and see that the fire is still sparking there. As if to taunt me about how I couldn't save anybody.

I make my way towards the Victors Village, which had been surprisingly untouched. I'm not sure why, maybe so if someone from the Capitol comes here on business they have somewhere decent to stay.

Instead of going into my house, I pass it and go straight into Katniss'. The inside looks the same as it always have, big and completely furnished, but still empty. Just like the rest of the houses here. I barely even noticed the cameras following me this whole time. I could care less if the world saw me as emotional as I am now. I have to admit, I do feel invaded with them following my every move, but I give them a silent thanks for leaving me alone while I enter Katniss' house.

I go up the stairs, _her_ stairs. It makes a wave of sadness go over me as I think that she's been around this whole house so many times, but she may never come back to it. It's a stupid reason to make me sad, but it's my reason.

Upstairs I go into the first door I see, which is Prim's room. I leave, so I don't feel like I'm invading. I decide to visit Katniss' room next. Inside is her hunting bag, which I grab and fill with things her mom and Prim might want and for when Katniss gets back. I take their family planting book, Katniss' hunting jacket, a hair bow for Prim. I am just about to leave when I hear a purr. I look in the direction it came and find Prim's cat, Buttercup.

"Hey." I say. "How did you manage to survive the bombs?" I go over and pick him up. He let's out a growl, but I ignore it and put him in Katniss' bag. I then leave.

"Are you ready to go?" Cressida, the head filmmaker, asks as I leave the house.

"Shouldn't I say a few things to the camera first?" I ask.

"No," she says. "They just needed to see you and the destruction of the district."

"Okay." I say. Buttercup starts moving around and lets out a loud growl.

"You should probably keep him hidden." Cressida tells me. "I don't think 13 is very fond of cats."

"They won't know." I say. "It's not for me anyways. It's for Prim and her mom."

"Okay, well we need to get going." She says as we all board the hovercraft. As it is lifting off, I look out the window to see my home for what may be the last time.

Once we get back to District 13 I give Prim and her mom all the things I brought, except I keep her hunting jacket so I have something to remember her with. I am then called to Command.

"Mr. Mellark," Coin greets me when I enter Command room. "Please, have a seat."

"What is it?" I ask, taking a seat.

"We saw your footage from District 12, and we thought it was good." She says. "But we need more, so we would like you to do another propo, here in 13."

"Another one?" I ask.

"You agreed to be the face of our rebellion, did you not?"

"Yes, I did." I huff. "I'll do it, I'm sorry about my outburst."

"It's quite alright, now let's begin." She leads me to a room that was made for film production. In there we find Plutarch, along with a green screen and a machine for sound effects and showing what will be on the screen.

"Peeta," Plutarch says. "How nice to see you again. How have you been holding up?"

"I'm getting better." I say politely.

"Good," He says. "Now, I'm going to give you some lines and you will repeat them when we start recording, okay?" I nod.

He hands me a piece of paper and after a few minutes of studying it I start repeating the line on camera.

"People of Panem," I start. "We need to fight for what we..." I trail off.

"Do you know the line?" Plutarch asks.

"Yeah, I know it, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Plutarch says. "Just start again."

"People of Panem, we need to fight for our justice!" I say. "Join us as we win our peace and freedom!"

I feel like I pretty much nailed it until I see Haymitch clapping slowly and sarcastically.

"And that is how a rebellion dies." Haymitch says gruffly.

"What do you suggest we do?" Plutarch asks. "That seemed fine to me, but if you have another idea, by all means tell me."

"You can't feed the boy lines. That's not how he will cooperate. He's known for his way with words."

"Hmm... you say he should speak on his own?"

"Yes."

"It's not half bad. I have heard his way with words."

"Send him in combat." Haymitch says. "Then let him speak on his own."

"I'm not sure Coin will approve."

"She'll have to if she wants this rebellion to work."

"Okay, I'll talk to her about it." Plutarch says. "Your done for the day, Peeta."

 **Katniss' POV**

I am lead by the peacekeepers to an unknown area one morning. They have surprisingly not harmed me while I've been here, they just forced me to do that interview, and I had to agree since I am a prisoner here. They have Johanna her too, along with Finnick's lover, Annie. They've been being tortured around the clock. The only company I get is their screams.

The peacekeepers open a door and I enter, surprised to see Snow there.

"Come in, Ms. Everdeen!" Snow says cheerfully. "I was just fending off some of your fans, now. Sit down." I obey and take a seat on the couch across from him. "I called you here to thank you."

"Sir?" I ask quietly, confused at to what he could be thanking me for.

"For the success of your interview." He says. "You surpassed my wildest expectations."

"I was just saying what I felt." I lie. Sure, I never wanted this war and neither did Peeta, but if I didn't say those things they would probably kill me. Not to mention what might happen to Peeta, if he is still alive that is.

"So, what you are saying is that you never wanted this war, correct?" I nod. "So, the berries, those were no act of defiance, am I correct? Was it an act of love?"

"I just wanted to keep Peeta alive." I said. "I knew he wouldn't survive back home without me, so I pulled the berries out for both of us."

"What about the arrow?" He asks. "The one you purposely shot at the dome of the arena. What were you thinking as you did that?"

"It was a – again an act of love." I say. "I figured Peeta could get out of the arena if I destroyed it."

"Hmm... and what about Peeta? Did he want this war? Was he part of the rebel plan?"

"He never wanted a war." I tell him. "I know that for a fact. Neither did I."

"And there won't be one if you still have anything to say about it." He tells me.

"I don't know what else there is for me to say." It's always been hard to think up fake love stuff about Peeta and I, but making up fake things about war, about things I don't know about and haven't witnessed are two completely different things. "I'm sick of the blood, and from what I've seen it's more in the hands of the peacekeepers."

"Katniss, there might be a hundred things in a home that need to be fixed. But that doesn't justify burning it to the ground. We agree a war might end humanity." He pauses for a second. "Ms. Everdeen, sometimes in this world, whether we intend it or not, we become symbols and since I am a symbol of power, like the seal on the door, I can control what other people do, but sometimes they just go too far. The sooner these uprisings are put to rest, the sooner you see your home again."

"So your asking me to be what?" I ask. "Your voice of reason?"

"You understood everything but one small little detail." He says. "I'm not asking."

Every word I said that day was a lie. Because I know if I don't lie, I'd be dead before I could say "sorry."


End file.
